Author Archives: Christopher Lynn

About Christopher Lynn

Christopher Dana Lynn is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Alabama, where he founded the Evolutionary Studies program. Chris teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in biological anthropology, human sexuality, evolution, biocultural medical anthropology, and neuroanthropology. He received his Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology in 2009 from the University at Albany, SUNY, where his doctoral focus was on the influence of speaking in tongues on stress response among Pentecostals. Chris runs a human behavioral ecology research group where the objectives include studying fun gimmicky things like trance, religious behavior, tattooing, and sex as a way of introducing students to the rigors of evolutionary science. In all his “free” time, he breaks up fights among his triplet sons, enjoys marriage to the other Loretta Lynn, strokes his mustache, and has learned to be passionate about Alabama football (Roll Tide!). Follow Chris on Twitter: @Chris_Ly

The Wrong Holy Ghost

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

Out this week in Ethos is a paper I wrote called “‘The Wrong Holy Ghost’” Discerning the Apostolic Gift of Discernment using a Signaling and Systems Theoretical Approach.” It’s about an incident I call “the wrong Holy Ghost” because that … Continue reading →

GUEST POST: 1st Annual Darwin Day Colloquium at University of Alabama

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

On February 12, 2013, the UA EvoS Club hosted its 1st annual Darwin Day Colloquium. Aside from helping out with ALLELE speakers for the past few years, this was the first major activity of the UA EvoS Club, & I … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution in Higher Education, Evolution in the Classroom | Tagged biophilia, E.O. Wilson, guest post, Jaime Cloud, University of Alabama | Comments Off

Milking Gorillas

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

I will do a more thorough summary from the Human Biology Association & American Association of Physical Anthropology annual joint conferences in the near future based on my rabid tweeting from sessions, but a few posters & talks are just … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Mating and Sexuality | Tagged Gordon Gallup, gorillas, Katherine Hinde, Michael Power, milk, primates, Rebecca Burch, semen | 2 Comments

Evolved for Higher Consciousness? Evidence Please

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

A publication came out in Consciousness & Cognition last year by a neuroscience group in Slovenia that starts off speculating that pursuing higher consciousness is “natural to the experience and potential growth of every human being.” They tested this by … Continue reading →

Posted in Genetics | Tagged consciousness, Neuroscience | Comments Off

Fireside Trance drives Selection for Enhanced Attention & Working Memory via Baldwin Effect

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

Fireside hypnotizability Following up on a previous post tracking down the original sources for the December Smithsonian piece about hearth fires & cognitive evolution, evolutionary psychologist Matt Rossano’s “Did Meditating Make Us Human?” spins out a model similar to & … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptation, Biological Anthropology, Cultural Evolution, Hypotheses | Tagged Baldwin effect, fireside relaxation, Matt Rossano | 2 Comments

Manning a perpetual fire was linked to language & social network development

Posted on February 16, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

The December 2012 issues of Smithsonian Magazine had a fire theme, & archaeologist Thomas Wynn contributed a short piece on the influence of fire in the evolution of the human mind. He briefs the work of three researchers doing work … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Archaeology | Tagged fire, fireside relaxation, Frederick Coolidge, John Gowlett, Matt Rossano, Smithsonian | Comments Off

“Anthropologists finally crack the interspecies linguistic barrier…

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

Posted in Anthropology, Linguistics, Primates | Tagged chimps, humor, Smithsonian | Comments Off

Signaling Religious Commitment in Brazilian Candomble

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

I was critiqued in a recent NSF grant proposal review that, while I elegantly integrated signaling & cultural consensus theories in my research design, my statements that (1) signaling theory derives from evolutionary biology & (2) that no one has … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Theory | Tagged Bria Dunham, Candomble, Joseph Bulbulia, Lee Cronk, Montserrat Soler, Religious ecology study, Richard Sosis, Signaling theory | 2 Comments

Consciousness is Painful

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

For several years now I’ve been putzing around with a dissertation chapter &, subsequently, draft of a paper about the functional delimitations of consciousness. I’m starting to think about it again after a conversation with a philosophy student who had … Continue reading →

Posted in Clinical Psychology | Tagged Arthur Aron, awareness, consciousness, David Sloan Wilson, Elaine Aron, highly sensitive people | 2 Comments

I Turned into a Werewolf: Flickering Firelight & the Strange-Face-in-the-Mirror Illusion

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Christopher Lynn

When I did the strange-face-in-the-mirror illusion, I turned into a frickin’ werewolf! How cool is that? I should back up, right? I teach a course called “Primate Religion & Human Consciousness” & require students to come up with activities to … Continue reading →

Posted in Activities, Evolution and Psychology, Evolution in the Classroom | Tagged ALLELE, fireside relaxation, fireside trance, Gordon Gallup, Julian Keenan, Melvin Konner, Michael Winkelman, mirror test, Neuroscience, Oliver Sacks, strange-face-in-the-mirror illusion | Comments Off